GEORGE HOWARD, ESQ. GOVERNOR.

1831.

CHAPTER 86.

CHAP. 86.

An act to authorise the making a general Alphabetical In-
dex of the Land Records of Baltimore county, from the
year seventeen hundred and ninety-nine inclusive, and to
keep up such Index henceforth.

Passed Jan. 24, 1832

WHEREAS, to the Land Records of Baltimore county
that have accumulated during the last thirty-four years,
there is no general index, and the search for conveyances
and ascertainment of titles to land is thus rendered very la-
borious, fedious and expensive; And whereas, the necessity
of examining each volume of records in that period when
titles are to be traced through a series of years, which of-
ten occurs, has subjected the volumes of those records to
much wear, and in the end may make the transcribing of
them requisite, which would prove a heavy charge upon the
city and county of Baltimore; And whereas, the public in-
terest requires that these evils should be remedied and for
the future prevented — Therefore,

Preamble.

Section 1 . Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Ma-
ryland, That the chief judge, for the time being, of Balti-
more county court, be, and he is hereby authorised to con-
tract with and employ the clerk for the time being, of said
court, to make out a general Alphabetical Index of the land
records of Baltimore county; beginning said Index with the
volume of said records marked W. G. number 54, and con-
tinuing the same with all such of said records as shall have
been made, and all conveyances that shall have been re-
ceived to be recorded up to the time of the passage of this

Court authorised
and directed.

act; and that the expense of making said Index shall be
borne and paid by the city of Baltimore and by Baltimore
county, out of the limits of said city, respectively, in pro-
portion to the assessable property in the same respectively;
and to be levied as charges against said city, and against
said county, by the commissioners of Baltimore county and

Expenses.

the mayor and city council of Baltimore respectively.
Sec. 2. And be it enacted, That said Index shall be made
under the supervision of said chief judge, and besides, be-
ing both in the name of each and all of the grantors, and
each and all of the grantees, and exhibiting the book and
page of the record of the several conveyances, shall give
such designation of the land conveyed as the conveyances
may furnish, and shall contain such other particulars as
said judge shall direct.

Chief Judge to di-
rect the manner.

Sec. 3. And be it enacted, That the said chief judge shall
forthwith, after making the said contract, and annually

Estimates — assess
ments —payments.